5 Minutes a Day

June 24, 2014

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend three workshops led by Leslee Watt, a physiotherapist and certified yoga instructor, who journeyed to us from Winnipeg. One of the workshops, titled “The Art and Science of Relaxation,” re-opened my eyes to the impact chronic stress has on our bodies. Leslee shared with us the effects stress has on our DNA, our muscles and our brain chemistry.

It…was…sobering.

As she was sharing, I thought about the last three years of my life. While I absolutely adored the work I was doing, the stress of being away from my spouse, living out of suitcases and constantly being on the road took its toll.

I wasn’t sleeping well, my eating habits were out of whack, I always worried about getting enough exercise and my life was dictated by a schedule I didn’t design. It dawned on me that the majority of us are currently living lives that don’t truly enable us to seek our truth…unless we are willing to make radical changes and find a new way of doing things! However, not all changes need to involve quitting your job, moving to Bali for over a month and becoming a yoga instructor (ahem).

All we need is a little restorative yoga and some peace and quiet…

During the workshop, we explored different restorative poses that can help relieve some of the impacts stress has on the body. Most importantly, it was about finding stillness – mentally, physically and emotionally. One woman sitting next to me in the workshop noted that each day she takes a least five minutes to do absolutely nothing but sit. No radio, no television, no laptop or phone…in short, no distraction. She was smiling saying that this one practice is having a huge impact on her…that she is calmer and more focused.

I’ve tried it out the past two days and I love it!

Five minutes. That’s all you need to bring a little calm into your life.